A Game of Shadows[Tutor]

[Nanjirou Soku]

The Captain's black cloak flapped in the evening wind breeze, her cat-like ANBU mask covering her features, the red gleam of the Sharingan glinting out from the eye slits as she leant against a nearby wall tapping her foot. Yet again, Soku found herself in the role of an instructor yet this time was slightly different than most classes she had done. Instead of an one-one lesson, the ANBU was to expect two students and with that, she would up the game. After all, there was no excuse to stop learning and in her mind, the lesson had already started. A brief glance over the shinobi roster had given her a general idea of what to expect from these young ninja but as she always did, the Santaru threw a twist into this little lesson. A note had been sent out to both hand-delivered by a ANBU operative and the instructions were simple.Red Oak District, sundown, look for the person out of place. Do not be late.The letter was not signed and it was ominous in a sense but then again, that was how the branch operated. Her hands trailed across the hilt of her blade as she grinned."This should be fun."Soku said more to herself than anyone out loud. The streets were beginning to get deserted as he merchants began to close down shops and activites grinded to a halt, a sign that the village was soon going into slumber and the unnamed guardians came out ensure the safety of Konohagukure. The guardians known as the ANBU.

The timing of the lesson was odd indeed but the kunoichi wanted to make sure they got the best experience possible. After all, for what she had palnned, the evening enviorment would suit them best. The sun soon began the cycle of setting and shadows began to overlap the buildings, the black cloak she wore blended in quite naturally with the darkened street now though if one paid attention enough, she would not be hard to make out. The note had said, look for the person out of place. Soku almost chuckled at the thought. For a kid, that could fall into a variety of categories.Maybe you should have worded it better, Soku.She frowned pondering that then shrugged disregarding the thought. They were smart, they could figure it out. After all, this was only the beginning.
PC: 1/5
WC: 394/1500

 

[Mayumi Ito]

To say Kei was surprised was an understatement. When an ANBU operative suddenly showed up in front of her, her mind had imagined the worst possible scenario. The redhead had heard that the Anbu was an assassination squad of sort which was why she had thought they came to kill her. Instead, a letter was presented to her, summoning her to the Red Oak district. Judging by the content of the letter it was definitely not to invite her to eat at one of the famous food joints there. Which she assumed can only mean one thing, that this was yet another tutor session by one of their sensei.

The time for the summoning this time was a bit problematic however, usually, her father would dictate her to be at home by sundown. The lack of name to the letter was another thing that presented difficulty to her. While she could have given the name of Asuka or Nagisa sensei instead, her father would have traced them down to ask why it was necessary for them to hold a class late in the evening.

Remembering her Uchiha friend, the girl went to her shop to ask for help on the matter. The girl thanked her lucky stars when she found out that Masami also received the exact same summoning as her, simplifying the process. After telling her father that she would be late because she was studying with a friend, she darted off towards the Ramen shop where they would be eating at before the sundown.

Though hunger was one of the main reason, the real reason why was that the girl wanted to map the area around them in her head while the sun was still out. Now Kei wouldn't consider herself bad at hide and seek, her skill was quite average in that regard, but she highly doubted they would be enough. If this person was confident enough to hide in plain view, she wagered they would have worn something as camouflage in their surrounding. Once they have eaten their fill, they left the shop together to look at their surroundings.

"A person out of place huh? I guess we should look for someone that lingered here with no intention to visit either of the two shops. What do you think Macchan?" the redhead inquired her friend.

PC: 1/5
WC/TWC: [390/390]

 

[Uchiha Masami]

Masami hummed to herself while she tidied up around her shop in the afterhours following closing time. The store closed earlier in the afternoon because her uncle had somewhere to be. Lately she found herself having less time to aid her uncle at his art shop due to her time being invested in her scholastic responsibilities. After spending most of her day working on her skills, the least she could do to repay his hospitality was help clean up when it was time to close. About twenty minutes into that process, inattentive to her surroundings due to the mundane nature of her work, she didn’t notice the presence of an enigmatic figure until it was too late.

When the young Uchiha turned around, she almost tripped over her own feet, catching herself against the wall to deter herself from planting her face into the floor. Even through the poor lighting she was able to recognize the unique layer of porcelain that obscured his face. They must have been personnel of the ANBU, an elite branch of predominantly unnamed men and women whose covert operations kept the denizens breathing and free. As much as she respected them, she wasn’t sure what business they could have with her of all people. Since she wasn’t dead already, they must not have been there to kill her. And then her eyes fixed on the letter.

”Oh, huh…” Piecing her composure back together, Masami breathed deeply while examining the letter. To say it was ominous was an understatement. Absent of a name, its instructions direct but with emphasized brevity, she didn’t know what else to do besides hope for the best and haul butt to the expected location. By the time she looked up, the operative was gone. She hadn’t even noticed them depart! It looked like all the rumours she heard about them being the best of the best was true.

Kei showed up a few minutes later as if on cue. Apparently, the redhead received the same instructions and coincidentally showed up to ask about them. While the sun still lingered in the sky, they headed to a ramen shop before the appointed time, gaining familiarity with the area and getting food in their stomach before embarking on the task. It was fortunate they had time before sundown, otherwise Masami would have been opposed to the preliminary precaution. After leaving the food stall, the sun was dipping under the horizon, denoting the time they needed to search for an individual who was out of place.

”It says out of place, that could mean a lot of things. In a place like this, anyone isolated or in a discreet spot could be considered out of place, so let’s look in the nooks and crannies,” she said, her eyes changing to a red outfitted in a triad of tomoe. This would allow her to see chakra, helping her discern living things that were in unusual spots such as rooftops or alleyways. "Or it could be someone odd in a crowd. That or someone indistinct alone."

[PC: 1/5]
[WC/TWC: 496/496]

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

The black cloak was almost perfect for the circumstances as the kunoichi watched two inviduals make themselves known as they appeared within the general area inching every closer to where she stood concealed. If this was a foe, they would be in very deep trouble right now. Soku watched one of them, the tomoe pattern appearing in her pupils which the Santaru noted with interest. So, this was the Uchiha. There seemed to be a lot of them going around these days. The evening sun began to set sparing only a bit of light, dark was quickly approaching and the Captain came to the conclusion with a sigh that if she remained like this, the duo could be right next to her and they would not even notice. She decided to get on with the seriousness of their summons and make herselves known."Behind you, young one."The voice echoed out from behind Kei and Masami as Soku stepped out of the shadow cast over the wall where she had been watching making herself known. A black cloak which concealed the vest she wore, the cat-like mask serving as a barrier to conceal her idenity. Her own sharingan was active, the red glint of the eyes peering out from the eye slits."I do apologize beforehand for the strange summons. My name is Santaru Soku, ANBU Captain and head of the assassnation unit within the branch. You surely must be wondering what is the need for a lesson at this late hour?"She almost smiled inwardly to herself at the thought. Today would be an interesting evening to say the least as Soku flipped through the file folder she had obtained scrolling through the details."I have requested your prescene here for a lesson, usually, this would be the Main Branch's duty, I'm sure you've met Asuka?"She inquired her eyebrow raised.

"Regardless, I like to ensure you students are getting the proper training you need in order to succeed in your respective careers whatever that may be. That said, you are not bound here by me. If you wish to take no part in this, I will not stop you in leaving."She nodded up the road they had taken which was dimly lit as the night sky began to take form, perfect for the encounter that they were about to experience."First off, before we even get to the lesson at hand, introductions are in order. I like to get to know those I am teaching better to gain a insight. One at a time, introduce yourself with your name and something you aspire for. I'll start with myself."The Captain allowed a few seconds of silence for any questions to be fired her direction, after all, it was a lot of information to soak in at first."My name is Santaru Soku and one of my aspiring goals is to see Konohagakure and it's people strive and prosper from the hard work we put in today. To have it become a beacon where all people may take lessons from."She had worded that slightly oddly but it made the most sense to her. The village was family to her, after all, it was the only home she had ever known. If she could do her part and instruct the future generation by providing them with the tools needed to keep the village functioning, she would be content with her life.
PC: 2/5
WC: 956/1500

 

[Mayumi Ito]

Upon hearing her inquiry, Masami suggested that they looked for someone in isolated or discrete areas. The girl noticed her friend's eyes turned crimson triad of tomoe to which a small smirk crept up her face. It felt like it was only yesterday that the girl voiced her concerned to the Sannin on the number of tomoe of her eyes, yet now she has full control of it. With a nod, the two of them searched the area together.

There must be a time limit to their search for the one who summoned them decided to emerge from the darkness and called out to them, nearly making the girl jumped. The redhead swiftly turned around to see a figure cloaked in black garb with their face concealed with a porcelain mask. Such a look would normally have stood out easily, but the shadow cast by the wall hide the figure completely from view. Mentally, the redhead berated herself for not noticing Soku sooner.

The black-clad figure introduces herself as Santaru Soku, and apparently, she was the leader of the infamous Anbu squad. That she chose not to take off her mask as she spoke with them made the girl feel unease but considering the nature of the team she led, the reason was apparent enough that Kei didn't feel the urge to ask her to take it off. What was interesting was that she can see the familiar crimson glint within the eyeholes of the mask....but the name she gave wasn't one of Uchiha clan. Kei wondered if the name given to them was actually her real name or simply what she goes with for their study session.

The Anbu Captain then asked them whether they've met the Sannin Asuka, to which Kei nodded. It appeared their study session was supposed to be held by her, yet circumstances prevented her from doing so....or mayhaps Soku was more fitted to teach them the lesson today. Once again she introduced herself as Santaru Soku and hearing the way she said it the second time, Kei wasn't quite sure if the name was really fake. Her aspiration was no less noble than Nagisa, the medical Sannin ensuring the prosperity of the village as well as a place to learn. She half wondered if all the people of high rank were like this. As always she decided to introduce herself first, taking half a step towards the Anbu.

"My name is Nanjirou Kei. As for my aspiration...I wished to be strong. Enough that I can protect my comrades and those who are close to me."

A very simple desire Kei realized now that she said it out loud.

[PC: 2/5]
[WC/TWC: 440/830]

 

[Uchiha Masami]

The speed she whirled around at when hearing the sudden voice was a testament to her sharp reflexes, though she had a feeling it wouldn’t have been enough should this individual harbour hostile intent. That she failed to notice her despite proximity cemented their skill, just as the feline mask illuminated their probable affiliation. Crimson eyes fixed on the revealed figure, the red glint creeping through the slits didn’t go unnoticed by the young Uchiha. Though difficult to see, the aesthetic was familiar; she was positive that she boasted the same eyes as her, but the name she proposed didn’t add up. That could have alluded to her using an alias, if she were a fellow clanswoman she had yet to encounter.

Upon hearing that she headed the assassination unit of the ANBU branch, her scarlet eyes widened. Indeed, her guess was correct, for with the inclusion of her position she was even more curious about what the lesson would entail. Masami wasn’t bold enough to believe they would be conducting an assassination in the din of night. Vivid as her imagination could be as an artist, there were limits. Although, there was always the possibility…

Soku-sensei went on to speak of Asuka, and Masami learned more about the duties of Main Branch. She didn’t know that those responsibilities normally fell to those forces, which made her feel a little flattered, to say the least, that she was approached at all by the ANBU branch. Nodding when she was asked whether she knew the Sennin, she listened intently to the words the Captain spoke. When provided the opportunity to take her leave should she want no part, she shook her head. ”I’m all in, Soku-sensei,” she said, performing a small bow before listening to her continued explanation.

Hearing her speak on her own reason for serving, she couldn’t supress a smile. It was nice to hear that, regardless of what branch they dwelled within, many who served Leaf were benign in their intentions. Everyone had their own way of protecting the gargantuan family that was their village, and she had respect for all means, even if she personally never took a life before. Masami imagined that would change down the road.

Kei’s aspirations were, courtesy of their numbered past interactions, already known to her. Their reasons didn’t deviate too much from one another, even if the initial prompt was different. It was reassuring when her turn came around and she stepped forward to introduce herself.

”I’m Uchiha Masami. Before I started on this path, I wanted to be an artist, making beautiful works of art, but after an incident I realized the most beautiful thing is life itself, and I wanted to protect it with my own life. That means everyone around me, this big ol’family that is all the people who serve Leaf,” she started, rubbing the back of her head. ”I know there’s probably a lot of stuff you can’t talk about, but I wanted to ask, what is being an ANBU like? In your opinion, what sort of personality or skillset do you think would suit the branch?”

[PC: 2/5]
[WC/TWC: 521/1017]

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

Soku betrayed no outward reaction as both of them replied in a satisfactory manner, Soku simply nodding her head in affirmation of the fact."A just goal and one that is very doable, do your utmost hardest, leave not even an ounce of effort out and everything will work out. If there is something you feel like doing and you have the ability to do so, go for it."The advice had worked for her in the past so Soku did not see why others could not embark on the same path. Sure, there were times when failure presented itself but that was how all shinobi learnt. After all, great ninja did not become so great without suffering and realizing the error of their ways, they bled and struggled through trial after trial to get to where they were. Before the Captain could get on with what their lesson was to entail today, Masami piped up with a question, Soku raised an eyebrow, it seemed to be a common trait of hers now as she glanced at the girl smiling behind the mask."You wish to know what the ANBU do?"She fell silent for a moment glancing up at the night sky as if deep in thought. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the Captain looked to Kei and Masami nodding as she gestured them a bit closer."To truly understand what it is we do and how we do it, I want you to imagine something. Imagine you, Kei are an ANBU operative and one day, you recieve a misson that your friend here, Uchiha Masami has gone missing and it is your duty to hunt down and kill her at any cost necessary for the sake of the village."The Santaru laid out an scenario for them curiously watching to see how would they react. "Would you be able to do that? Take out someone you've known all your life on a mere order? That is the ANBU for you two. We must be the best of best and emotions do not exist within us. If it is a close relative or friend that presents a threat to the village, it falls to us to take them out regardless."She sighed taking in a breath before shaking her head."That is not to say, we do not care. We have families too..Asuka is like my adoptive sister, that is how close we are...I could not imagine her ever turning her back on us but if the order was given? Would I be able to carry it out? I truly do not know? That is the ANBU for you, you must leave all personal feelings at the door and come with a hardened core and mood, for when you are in the ANBU, they are the only family you will know."

She clasped her hands together as if trying to wave off the dark tone she had set silently berating herself for it."But let us not dwell on such grim thoughts, after all, what sort of teacher would I be if I terrified you with war stories and whatnot."She chuckled slightly at the thought before eyeing the buildings around them, the shadows cast and back at the duo tilting her head."Today's lesson is very simple. It is one about stealth and secrecy. In most cases, you will be in direct combat with your enemies but what if your enemy has laid an ambush? A trap? What if they are laying in wait right before your eyes yet you can not see them? The art of visibility is a key to success and that is why...today, you will attempt to locate me and apprehend me before the moon reaches it's full peak."Soku said nodding at the moon which had just begun to rise shining brightly in all it's glory.

"Around this area, I have laid several traps, they are harmless but will hinder you if you are careless. Teamwork is key here. Work together, not against each other. That is how most shinobi fall apart. If you sucessfully manage to locate me and land a single blow on me, the lesson is over. On the contrary, if I manage to as much touch you, you fail. Understand?"The kunoichi looked from one student to the next allowing them to gather their confidence and ask any questions that they deemed would be necessary."If there is no more further inquires..your misson begins...now!"She said the last word almost in a commanding tone before quickly producing a smoke bomb from within her cloak and dropping it creating a smoke cloud from which she would use the distraction to find a suitable hiding spot. Now, it was time to play the waiting game. It was like a game of hide and seek except far more intense.
PC: 3/5
WC: 1751/1500

 

[Mayumi Ito]

Kei exhaled inwardly after hearing Soku approved both their aspirations and even encouraged them to do so. Even though it was not the first time she had been asked so, it was always nerve-wracking to have her aspiration scrutinized deeply by the top wigs. When Masami asked what it was like to be an Anbu, Soku didn't reply right away. For a moment she had thought that even the question itself was a taboo before the Captain beckoned them closer. Wordlessly she does so, as the Captain began to give them a situation to ponder upon.

The idea that she would have to kill someone she knew all her life, let alone a close friend of hers made her expression harden. Would she be able to cut Masami down without a second thought? Impossible. Likely she would do some investigation of her own first in a secretive manner to see if the order was indeed justified. It was odd to think that she of all people would be ordered to do so, was this not what the adults referred to as a conflict of interest? Then again, perhaps the task would fall onto her for precisely that reason.

An ultimate test to prove whether Kei would be able to put loyalty to her village above loyalty to her friend. Not to mention, she was probably chosen because she would know Masami habits and the like, further increasing the chance of assassination. If the situation was extreme enough to warrant such drastic action, perhaps the kunoichi would be able to conduct it though she doubted her mind would survive such an ordeal unscarred.

Fortunately, she was not expected to answer such a question as the subject was swiftly changed to something less grim. Once more they were given the task to locate the Anbu Captain but with an additional rule, that they would have to actually land a blow on her this time. And they would have to do that while evading from being touched themselves. Without warning, a smoke bomb was unleashed covering the whole area with intense smoke which also serves as an indicator that their mission had just begun. The girl coughed slightly as she fanned the smoke away, glancing at her friend.

"Guess we're playing hide and seek with the Captain of Anbu now eh Macchan?" Well more like tag and seek but such details concerned her little at the moment. First, she needed to assess the situation. As it was night time, their visibility was cut down greatly, not to mention there was a lot of places one can hide and conceal themselves. To add to their situation, the Captain had set up traps all over the area. Harmless ones but if they're meant to tag her without being touched, she doubted that they would have time to figure out how to evade the trap.

"Going to be difficult to find anyone with this level of visibility. Got anything up your sleeves to help us out?"

As Kei asked, the girl put her hands together to form the handseal for elemental clones.
Soon Masami was surrounded on all side by the redhead, each looking at the 4 directions of compass point. If she couldn't figure out how to do so in time then she'll just have to send the clones to trigger them.

"So what's the plan? I've brought the clones out so we'd have more manpower on the task." Kei asked as she eyed her surroundings. After hearing her friend elaborate on it, all Kei would nod their head and cracked their knuckles in unison.

"Got it. Let's do this Macchan~" The girl was eager and raring to go. It was not often they get to play with the Captain of the special ops. They would begin to canvas the area once more for the elusive figure of the ANBU captain.

[PC: 3/5]
[WC/TWC: 646/1476]

 

[Uchiha Masami]

As always, a wave of relief washed over her when she heard that her motivation wasn’t considered asinine. Whenever she spoke from her heart, there was always the feeling of leaving herself open to scrutiny. She knew she couldn’t be too caught up in that, however, as thick skin would be crucial when it came to the career she intended to embark upon. Growth would not come without failure and criticism, for one who did not make, or acknowledge their own mistakes, was curbing their own ability to learn from them. It just sucked that mistakes often came with their own douse of pain, but such was living.

Ushered closer by the Captain, Masami sauntered forward until they were proximal. Initially, Masami was doubtful she would receive a response to her question; she had a gut feeling that the neighboured branch was extremely clandestine, if the masks and the way they were summoned was any indication. However, she was glad the Captain shed light on the subject. To say it was an eye-opening experience was an understatement.

Though the example was made with Kei pursuing her on a kill order, all she needed to do was reverse the situation in her mind to empathize with the hardship the ANBU went through. Would she be able to do it? Masami’s Sharingan shifted towards her friend, her expression doubtful. Not yet having wrapped her head around the concept of killing an enemy, though in the process of accepting it, she couldn’t imagine what a horrific experience it would be to neutralize someone held dear. It made the hairs on her neck stand on end, and it made her view the ANBU not with disdain, but newfound respect. It was hard, it was harsh, but they curbed their emotions for the greater good of the village and everyone living in it.

”I see,” she said, casting her gaze down for a moment before aligning it back unto the Captain. ”Thank you very much for the explanation, Soku-sensei. And well, thanks for everything you do to protect us and the village.” She wanted to show her gratitude, and she hoped that she conveyed it well.

Following that, the darker mood was swept away with the clasping of Soku’s hands and the forwarding of the next subject. She couldn’t suppress her wry smile when she heard mention of macabre war stories, a metaphorical drop of sweat bordering her head. Masami and Kei learned about the task, and when she heard what was asked of them, she found herself nervously swallowing her saliva. Hopefully Soku would go a little easier on them; she didn’t want to leave a poor impression by failing completely.

Traps peppered the area, though Masami was not aware of any of them currently. They were to land a single blow on her, but if she were to do the same before they could, then they failed the mission. The mission commenced in an abrupt burst of smoke, forcing the Uchiha to shield her eyes and mouth with her forearm, letting out a few shallow coughs.

”Looks like it,” Masami wheezed in response to Kei. ”Means it’s gonna be the hardest game of it we’ll ever play.” The next question she was posed with regarded their plan, and whether or not Masami was capable of improving their awareness. Thinking about what Soku said about working as a cohesive unit, she nodded and performed a string of hand seals. Small minerals from the ground collected from around them and formed a spherical eye, stylized with the tomoe of the Sharingan, and hovered next to Masami. This was the Crystal Eye technique.

”As a matter of fact, yeah. This little guy here acts like a surveillance device, and will help us map out our surroundings every time I give the cue. It also won’t be effected by all this damn smoke,” she elaborated. After that elaboration, Kei summoned clones. She was surprised how far she had come to be capable of such a feat, when her chakra control originally was not her strongest area. Thanks to witnessing Kei’s technique while her doujutsu was active, Masami was able to mimic it by using the sharingan’s copying skill. Performing the same hand seals, the Uchiha summoned three clones of her own in a poof of smoke.

As for the plan, she cupped her chin while she thought. She brought her voice to a hush while she spoke to the redhead.

”So, you and I have a bunch of clones now, right? From I’ve ascertained, we control them, so there’s bound to be some feedback between us and the clones,” she started, tapping her lip. ”What if we use them to cover more ground? I can use my Crystal Eye to search while telling you what I see, our clones can check out suspicious or points of interest. They may trigger traps, but at least it’s not us, and if they go boom when trying to land a blow on her, we use them as a distraction while we try to land one on her ourselves.”

With Kei in agreement and the plan launched, Masami would do just as she said. While looking around alongside Kei’s main body, she would use the Crystal Eye to survey the area, and keep the redhead in the know-how about what she saw, while her own clones helped cover ground and search as well.

[PC: 3/5]
[WC/TWC: 902/1919]

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

The Captain retreated lightly her padded boots making almost little to no sound as she scaled the wall silently as the two students got their bearings after being bombarded with a faceful of smoke. Soku grinned at the thought."Always wanted to do that."She chuckled landing on the rooftop glancing down at the cloud of smoke from her elevated position and quickly crouched down after seeing what was present a hum of approval escaping her lips as the smoke began to settle a little. Clones...so pesky. There was also this curious little technique Masami was using..looked almost like an eye. Whatever it was, Soku knew it was probably not wise to get seen by it..that is if it could even track her. Well, it was time to give them their first gift of the day. The Captain smirked at that, to her at least it was a gift, to them, probably not as much. Digging into her pouch, the ANBU produced several kunai whom had fake paperbombs attached to the handle to simulate the real thing, it was a means of causing panic among the foe and she really hoped this would work. The forgery looked real enough but then again, she was no artist. She would have to be quick to not get seen by that eye let alone those clones. There also was the issue of the Sharingan glaring out. They had started out well covering their areas but that was the fatal mistake for most shinobi. The ground. They always expected an attack from behind, left, right. No one would even bother to look up towards the sky, because, flying shinobi were a laughable thought. The woman grinned again thinking."Time to prove them wrong."Spinning the kunai around her finger by the hilt, she nodded before poking her head out praying silently those accursed clones would not have time to detect her movements as she flung the three kunai with fake paper bomb and all towards the duo. If the students were to take a step backwards or perform any sort of dodging movements towards the rear, they would find the surface beneath them start to feel very slippery and cold, almost like there was some sort of ice on the surface yet the concrete looked normal as ever.

As the paper bomb flew towards the duo, her Sharingan began to swirl into the Mangekyo pattern."Kamui."She whispered to herself her body warping in and out of reality as the space-time ninjutsu took over her teleporting her almost instantly to another location, this time a bit closer to wherever Masami and Kei would end up. If they had kept their focus despite all of the barrage, Masami's Sharingan, one of the clones or the Crystal Eye technique would pick up the abnormal appearance of a figure appearing quite suddenly, making a few steps forward so her figure could be clearly seen before turning and breaking out into a sprint popping her head out from various locations here and there to fling a few kunai, some more smoke bomb here and there. In one instance, the sound of footsteps could be heard behind Kei and if the young student did not turn in time, she would find the Captain running at her in a full dead-on sprint, a neutral expression on her face as her hand came up to attempt to touch the girl's shoulder. If the young kunoichi reacted in time, Soku would find herself exposed out in the open and that for an ANBU was the worst thing, They were creatures of the dark. To be caught in the spotlight was a almost unthinkable thing.

Regardless of whether the attack succeeded or not, Soku would turn her attention to Masami though she spoke to the both of them her hands coming together to form a series of hand signs."Well, this is your chance. Pretend like this is an misson. I am a foreign shinobi thatjust forced my way through the gates and you two have been tasked with stopping me at any cost necessary. Let's see what you got. Hidden Mist Jutsu!"She spoke the last three words sharply and a thick cloud of fog began to settle over the area obscuring the visibility even worse than before. The Captain's voice seemed to echo from all around the cloud of fog yet the duo would know she was somewhere in the center of the mist but where exactly?"Am I here? Or maybe here? Perhaps over here too!"A shuriken flew from somewhere out of the fog veering off towards Masami as it multiplied into two as it hurtled towards the duo embedding itself barely two inches from their feet. Even with the Sharingan, visibilty was tough but the dojutsu would allow those who had it to see more clearly and the Captain could just almost make out the shadows of one, Masami would have the same ability. It was a just a task of getting to Soku now that they somewhat knew where she was.

PC: 4/5
WC: 2587/1500
OOC: C Rank Hidden Mist Jutsu used
OOC: B Rank Shadow Shuriken Replication Jutsu used

 

[Mayumi Ito]

Kei kept her eyes focused on the road ahead of them as she canvas the area with her friend. She was quite thankful that Asuka had shown her the elemental clone techniques on their first lesson. Now that she could do the same, she need not worry about being flanked or snuck up upon. Not to mention even if she somehow missed anything, her blindspot would be covered by Masami's nifty device.

Kei wondered from which angle the Anbu Captain would attack. Would Soku attack them head on? Distract from one angle only to attack from the opposite? A warning from Masami indicated that the attack comes from the most unexpected angle, from above! How did she get up there was anyone's guess but the more pressing issue was the rain of kunai with an explosive tag attached above them. Normally she would have dodged such attack but Masami convinced her not to and she decided to trust on her judgment. Nor was there time to ponder on why one of her clones spotted the Anbu Captain had teleported right near them and started to fling kunai and smoke bomb all over the place. Not wanting to wait and find out what she was about to do next, the redhead immediately performed body switch to switch place with her clone.

Just in time as well as the Anbu Captain had suddenly focus where she was a few seconds ago, charging towards the clone she had body switch with. Wanting to capitalize on that moment, the girl adopted a stance with her sword sheathed. Mugai-Ryu, a hyper offensive stance that forsakes defense in favor of attack speed. Whether Soku was about to deal with the clone, attack Masami next or cast another ninjutsu to further hamper their situation, she would not wait to find out. If she did target Masami next, Kei hoped that her friend would be able to provide a window of opportunity for her to exploit with this attack.

Kei's feet would tear across the ground as she unsheathed the blade. Power was not important, she just needed to land a single blow on the Anbu Captain with the most accurate sword technique in her arsenal. The steel blade sang across the air as she attempts to slice the Captain...or rather her cloak with it.

OOC Non-elemental E rank. Body Switch
OOC Nanjirou Buffing Taijutsu Battoujutsu
OOC Nanjirou ability Mugai-Ryu activated.
OOC Slashing C Rank Vanishing Slash

[PC: 4/5]
[WC/TWC: 387/1863]

 

[Uchiha Masami]

The Crystal Eye’s purpose differed from the clones she summoned themselves. The young Uchiha used the technique to monitor areas she wouldn’t normally be able to see. After all, it accessed unorthodox spots easier than her clones could; there was no point in using the Eye for ground work when the duo already had a total of eight entities, including themselves, searching the ground for anomalies. The surveillance boasted the intrinsic capability of floating in the air, which naturally was her first line of thought when even thinking of the technique; sending it to locations that her own eyes were not surveying.

Under the eye’s scrutiny, she was able to become privy to the onslaught of dressed projectiles. ”Kei, above!” she called, snapping her attention towards the direction her Crystal Eye affirmed. Since she didn’t have too much time to react, it would minimalize her ability to mitigate the attack. Unbeknownst to her they weren’t aimed at her directly, but she launched several shuriken towards them to deflect what she could. Should the redhead aid her in the endeavour, they were bound to fend them off without raising urgency in moving across the now slippery terrain. She didn’t have the time to be baffled about that.

If there was a purpose for that, it was to enable her to look at the projectiles from a safer distance. Normally she would have scattered, but she really was an actual artist. There was something strange about the paper enveloping the projectiles, and she started to grow suspicious when she put that together with the fact, she had her doubts—although she wasn’t entirely certain—that the woman didn’t have any intention to use live explosives. Her expertise as an artist seemed to arise at the most unorthodox situations.

”I don’t think they’re legit, but play dumb,” she said, assuming controlling information was key in delicate operations. She moved away from the landing point of the projectiles, skidding slightly on her heels, but managed to not fall over because she wasn’t as panicked as she could have been should she not have had the hunch.

Masami had an idea, but it was a layered idea filled with deception. She supposed that, with the gargantuan difference in skill, the only way they would be able to land a blow on their teacher. She looked towards Kei, a serious, thoughtful look. A silent, trust me.

It was not Masami who picked up on the figure appearing out of nowhere, but one of her clones. It was the same thing however, for once her eyes landed on her, she was able to study her chakra to discern possible courses of action. When she started to charge towards Kei, the Captain’s focus perhaps locked on her as she lobbed smoke bomb and kunai alike, Masami performed a seal. Using the Transformation technique, her form would change to that of Kei while the other two participants engaged one another, the ANBU likely not privy to this alteration. This started her gamble.

Kei would most likely body switch with many of the clones around her, one of which probably tipped her off the speedy approach. Since her visibility was being lessened, she assumed the evasive technique Kei would use would be that very common technique. In turn, Masami would attempt to Body Switch with Kei’s clone, and now that she looked like Kei, hopefully their teacher would be none the wiser. Which would give her an opening to look straight into the Sharingan that had morphed into a state beyond her own comprehension. But she still had looked her in the eye.

Masami attempted to cast a Genjutsu on her through her eyes. Should her deceptive plan unravel favourably and the illusion take effect, Soku’s vision would be blanketed by pure darkness while Kei attacked with blade in hand, momentarily robbing her of sight and possibly giving her partner a huge opening to exploit, and herself the ability to step back hopefully unimpeded. If it didn’t work, then that meant she would be touched by the ANBU, and the test failed on her end.

[PC: 4/5]
[WC/TWC: 686/2605]

[Transformation used]
[Body Switch used]
[Verse of Darkness used]

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

Blow after blow after blow. That was all she exchanged with the Nanjirou girl her Sharingan spinning rapidly as she watched the girls' movements. The mist was not helping things either but she had brought that on herself to be fair here. Soku frowned pausing for a second after realizing she had lost sight of Masami. Though, she would not have time to consider that issue as the blade arced down snagging a piece of fabric off her cloak as she retreated back a few steps."Alright then. let's amp this up a few notches, shall we?"The Captain smiled locking eyes with the Nanjirou and that was a mistake she would regret for the entirety of this battle. The red gleam of the Sharingan met her gaze and the Captain had a brief second to register the fact before all she saw was.. darkness.A trap...it was all a trap.She muttered to herself shaking her head as the duo would manage to sucessfully score a hit on her. Soku was unable to see but she chucked lightly to herself. Her own weakness,,it was almost laughable in a sense."Release!"She spoke sharply making the sign to break free from the genjutsu which she managed with some diffculty panting. Genjutsu had never been her strong suit but having been afflicted by it more than once,it would take a lot more to hold her down. Vision came flooding back to her and she found herself back on the real world staring up at Kei or rather..Masami, the gleaming pattern of the Sharingan all too present. The woman clambered to her feet shaking her head as a grin spead across her features.

"Genjutsu....was it? You know.. that actually caught me off guard. Very well done, you two. I mean it...seriously."She said nodding holding her hand out for a fist bump. She could never recall another time in her career where an student had come with such an elaborate plan. It had impressed her, that much was certain,"The communcation was there, teamwork was excellent. You managed to distract me and then used that chance to execute your plan..it worked sure enough."The ANBU replied raising an eyebrow."However..remember..plans do not always go according to plan."Her tone grew serious for a moment as she spoke."Let's say I was a clone or something? You just wasted all of that chakra on something as simple as a duplicate. Or perhaps, your opponet has something that gives him the ability to repel genjutsu. Say, your plan fails. You always need a backup or contigency in case the first approach does not go as planned. Because, if you don't you will find yourself in a sore spot very quickly."

She reached down to pick up her fallen kunai pocketing it and glanced down at the torn cloak fabric from the blade. She had liked that cloak..oh well."I fear I will incur your families'wrath if I keep you too long. After all,, this is not the most oppurtune time for a lesson but it had to be done, I do hope you all took something from this."Soku said as she walked around picking up the fallen projectiles. After all, they could hardly leave the place a mess, could they."If you have any last minute questions, now is the time to ask. It can be anything.it doesn't even have to be anything regarding this topic."The kunoichi replied almost in a joking tone. She liked to bond with her students afterwards to give them a chance to relax, let them take comfort in the fact they had done well. She would be keeping her eye on these two, that much was certain."Will you two be quite alright walking home? It is still dark?"The moon was at full peak and if it was not for the hanging laterns, the marketsquare would be convered in instant shadows. She was sure they could handle themselves against any potential thug that might appear but she still detested the fact of two Academy students wandering the streets along with no supervision. if something happened, it would be on her.

PC: 5/5
WC: 3268/1500
[Rewards requested]

 

[Mayumi Ito]

Kei blinked as she watched Soku gasping to catch a breath before them. She could hardly believe it, against all odds they somehow managed to land a blow on an Anbu captain. A feat that would normally be impossible for academy students and it was only through a combination of effort, teamwork, and blessings from Lady Fortune that they managed to pull it off.

"We did it! We did it Masami~!" The girl attempted to pull her friend into a hug, and whether or not her friend returns the favor, she would cheer her heart out joyfully.

The Captain congratulated them for their achievement and surprisingly raised her fist for fist bump....which Kei reciprocated the motion by bumping it enthusiastically. Against a more arrogant opponent, Kei would have to rub it in but their former adversary took in stride and with grace. The jubilant feeling did not last long, however, as Soku kindly pointed out the major flaw of their plan. If Soku had used a clone of sorts instead of attacking directly, then all their efforts would have gone down the drain.

"Copy that Soku sensei. We'll try to be more careful next time." Kei replied as she sheathed the blade of her sword. As she does so, her eyes followed Soku's line of sight towards the part of fabric she had cut with her blade. The girl smiled sheepishly as she scratched her cheek, picking it up as she does so. In hindsight perhaps a simple punch would suffice...but she was so caught up in her enthusiasm that she did not want to miss.

Before she can address the fabric in question, the Anbu Captain asked them first on whether they have any questions to ask. To be quite frank, Kei had dozens of them from Anbu related questions to why she would choose such a career...but the moon was already quite high in the sky. If she asked one of them, she was bound to ask more and that could take an entire night. It would probably be fine if it was just her father but she didn't want to drag Masami into it too. So instead she decided to sate her curiosity in the future by limiting herself to only one question.

"How do we contact you Soku-sensei?"

Unlike Nagisa or Asuka she doubted she can simply waltz into Soku's office, who knows how many classified documents she had stored away. Having a way to actually contact Soku would be nice and she was quite willing to follow whatever elaborate method of communication Soku would set for her.

PC: 5/5
WC/TWC: 435/2298.

 

[Uchiha Masami]

Eyes wide and body frozen, Masami blinked in disbelief when the plan unfolded successfully. Everything happened at such a tempo that the young Uchiha struggled to keep up until the events transpiring. If something’s too good to be true, it probably is; she remembered the idiom as clear as day, but she managed to disprove it for once. At the expense of their teacher’s cloak, they managed to pass the test prepared for them. Ensnared by a disbelief fuelled trance, it was only through reflex did she reciprocate the redhead’s hug as she stared off into space. ”Oh, yeah, huh…”

With the use of a familiar technique, Soku released herself from the talons of darkness gripping her. Masami was relieved to see her escape the technique, because the idea of blinding her teacher for any lasting period made her feel bad. The Uchiha was still surprised about succeeding; it elevated her confidence about her own ability when she was able to realize a plan. She never imagined she would be good at plans or executing them, but it seemed even her pessimism could be wrong. However, the last thing she wanted was to overestimate her own abilities because of that. She knew the most prudent thing to do if this was a real encounter would have been to request backup, or at the most try to bide time until backup arrived. The gap in skill was far too tremendous.

Their sensei noted that the illusion caught her off-guard, which was something Masami was hoping for. The element of surprise was crucial, and she knew she needed to make the most of it because of how slim opportunities could be. Seeing the fist extended, a wry grin emerged on her own lips as she forwarded her fist and bumped it against Soku’s own. Simultaneously, she released the disguise, causing her form to return to normal; coal black hair and eccentric purple eyes, the red glare of the Sharingan vanishing.

They were praised, but they were told to plan ahead in the future. It was true. Had Soku created clones of her own while hiding, the plan would have flopped and not only wasted chakra, but would have left her open for attack herself. There was also the possibility of the opponent sporting resilience to the illusionary arts. Though it was a gamble that paid off, she should have devised a greater failsafe should the plan have failed, for in a real situation, it ran the risk of jeopardizing not only her life, but those around her. The Uchiha’s expression sobered as she nodded. ”Yeah, that’s my bad. I’ll make sure to do that when the time comes.”

In the aftermath, Masami started to help Soku retrieve the many kunai embedded in the ground, while she listened to her speak. Though a million questions came to mind, she knew that it would be impossible for her to ask them all at this time. The Captain was right about it getting late, and her guardian would be upset if she didn’t get home in time. Yet, there were still many questions she wanted to ask. Consequently, Kei ended up asking the best question of all: How would they get in contact with Soku again? Should they meet up again, they may be less pressed for time, and then they would be able to ask many more questions and sate their appetite for knowledge. After gathering what she could of the kunai, she handed them over to Soku.

”Aye, what Kei said,” she said, clasping her hands together behind her head. ”If we can contact you again, we won’t have to worry as much about time, and can ask all kinds of questions.” Beaming a grin in Soku’s direction, she thought in retrospect to the other thing Soku said. ”I think we’d be alright, but, I also wouldn’t mind being walked back if you wanted to join us, Soku-sensei!” Frankly, she hoped she would, for she certainly had taken a liking to the ANBU captain during their lesson.

[PC: 5/5]
[WC/TWC: 674/3279]

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

She had given them the ability to ask any question in the entire universe to her and they had went with how to reach her again. In truth, Soku was struggling with how to answer this. She couldn't exactly direct them to the ANBU complex, they were still Academy students after all. Yukio would be beyond himself if he learnt his Captain had allowed two students into the headquarters without proper security clearance which they would probably would not get. "Hmmm...tell you what.."She said murmuring thoughtfully to herself. Of course, there was the alternative option, yes, that would work perfectly. "If you do wish to reach me by any means, it will have to be at my personal residence as my line of work does not allow for outsiders regardless of rank with the exception of the Sennin. I live not far from this district and am head of the Santaru clan here in Konoha. You will find the clan estate not far form here. If you have questions or anything else of the sort, I can be found there or even better, if I am unable to be contacted, my advisor Santaru Nibachi, my advisor is present there to take any inquiries."She quickly produced a small parchment from her pouch which held the clan seal, a black circle with a yellow thunderbolt running through it."Look for this symbol, that is the clan identifier."She said folding it up and handing it to Kei. At Masami's offer to walk back with them, the Santaru would glance down the dark pathways winding this way and that. Truth be told, she would have loved nothing more than to spend more time with these two students but the looming responsibility of her duties hung over her head."While I would love to personally escort you back, I must get on with conducting my patrols of the village. It is going to be quite a busy night for me, however, that does not mean you will not have any form of protection on the way back should somehow, some person decide to lash out at you."

Making a hand seal, there would a poof of smoke that cleared swiftly revealing a clone with a blank, emotionless look but a near-perfect copy of the kunoichi herself."My clone here will ensure nothing ill happens to you and if something does arise, I will know about it at once."The Santaru said giving a glance around to ensure the area was properly set up the way they had left it and there was almost no trace of a conflict here."Also, stay out of trouble. I have my eye on you two."The Captain said chuckling a bit winking as she nodded to the clone."Off you go then."Soku remarked before turning and taking her own path down a dimly lit alleyway, her cloak bundled up in one arm, the sound of her footsteps growing lighter and lighter as the woman's presence faded away into the dark night sky, all that remained of her was the clone who would gesture for them to lead the way escorting the two on their respective ways along the way ensuring no harm came from the monsters of the night before vanishing as well. Today had been quite a fruitful lesson. Both student and teacher had learnt a lesson here. That was always the best type of lessons, when both parties took away something from the class.
[Topic left unless stopped]